Category Archives: Charity

Fifty Shades of Pink – June 1st, Tasting & Fundraiser!

Get ready to sip, swirl, and celebrate –Fifty Shades of Pink is back—bigger, bolder, and bursting with flavor!

Join us Sunday June 1st, from 4–7 PM, at the beautiful Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club (20 South Andrews Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301) for an unforgettable afternoon of Rosé, Red & White Wines, Tasty Bites, Music & Auction Festivities

As do all AFWC events, a charity benefits, this will benefit the Joel Feigenheiner Endowment Fund, which offers scholarships for students in need.

With hundreds of award winning wines to taste & some wineries pouring, local restaurants showcasing their creations, and a cause worth toasting, this is the summer kickoff you don’t want to miss – get your TICKETS while they last!


2025 Sonoma County Barrel Auction Raises Over $328,000!

Exciting news on the SoCoBA fundraising front! $328,000 in proceeds will assist in creating marketing programs and initiatives that support the Sonoma County wine trade and community. Presented by American AgCredit and hosted at the Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate on Friday, May 2, 2025. The auction featured 59 unique barrel lots ranging from 5 to 20 cases from 63 participating Sonoma County vintners. 

Honorees this year included:

The SoCoBA events kicked off with a tasting preview event on May 1 at Bacchus Landing, which offered trade buyers the opportunity to speak with the vintners, taste barrel samples and learn more about the auction lots before the live auction the following day. More epic auction info available HERE!

Save the date: SoCoBA planned for April 30 – May 1, 2026!

Photo credit Richard Wood!

AFWC: The Results Are IN!

The American Fine Wine Competition Announces

Results from the 18th annual Judging

Where was Sawyer Somm in January? In Florida, judging at the American Fine Wine Competition! This invitation-only wine judging included 550 wines from 150 wineries vying for top honors. Hosted, once again, by the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University in North Miami.

The 2025 Top Awards

BEST OF SHOW

Sparkling Wine

2017 Domaine Carneros  Le Reve, Carneros ($125)

White Wine

2023 Castello di Amarosa  Gewurztraminer  Anderson Valley ($35)

Red Wine

2019 Talisman  Pinot Noir  Mystery Vineyard  Sonoma Coast ($85)

Sweet White Wine

2023 Ferrante Winery Vidal Blanc Ice Wine  Grand River Valley ($35)

Sweet Red Wine

Prager Winery & Port Works Noble Companion 10-Yr-Old Tawny, Napa ($85)

BEST OF CLASS

Sauvignon Blanc

2023 Barnett Vineyards Andrew’s Vineyard Dry Creek Valley ($35)

Chardonnay

2023 Mi Sueno Winery Estate Carneros, Napa ($75)

Other White Single Varietal

2023 Eastwood Farm & Winery Petit Masang, Monticello ($35)

Other White Blend

2023 Carol Shelton Coquille Blanc Paso Robles ($28)

Albarino

2023 Clearwater Canyon Crawford Vineyard Yakima ($22)

Riesling, Dry

2021 Brooks Lone Star Eola-Amity Hills ($35)

Riesling Off-dry

2022 Bel Lago Leelanau Peninsula ($18)

Gewurztraminer

2023 Castello di Amarosa Anderson Valley ($35)

Sweet White

2023 Ferrante Vidal Ica Wine Grand River Valley ($35)

Sweet Red

Prager Winery & Port Works Noble Companion 10-Yr old Tawny, Napa ($85)

Sparkling Wine

2017 Domaine Carneros “Le Reve” Carneros ($125)

Pinot Noir

2019 Talisman Wine Mystery Vineyard Sonoma Coast ($85)

Zinfandel

2021 Deerfield Ranch Sommer Ranch Vineyard Dry Creek Valley ($68)

Cabernet Franc

2022 Element 79 Vineyards Estate “Fair Play” ($45)

Merlot

2021 Robert Foley Vineyards Napa Valley ($80)

Syrah

2021 J. Lohr Vineyards “Gesture” Paso Robles ($45)

Petit Verdot

2022 J. Lohr Vineyards Home Ranch Paso Robles ($45)

Red Bordeaux-style Blend

2019 Peju Reserve Meritage Napa Valley ($175)

Cabernet Sauvignon

2021 ZD Wines Reserve Napa Valley ($175)

Other Red Single Varietal

2023 Cline Cellars Mourvèdre Small Berry Contra Costa County ($45)

Malbec

2021 Shadowbox McKenzie Mullen Vyd. Carneros, Napa ($65)

Petite Sirah

2022 V. Sattui Barrel Aged Napa ($52)

Sangiovese

2022 Eberle Paso Robles ($45)

Other Red Blend

 2022 Bricoleur Vineyards “La Rumeur” Sonoma County ($65)

AFWC’s “One Thousand Bottles”: Sunday Jan 19th!

AFWC’s “One Thousand Bottles”: Sipping through America

Get your TICKETS! January 19, 2025 from 6:30-9:00 PM

FIU CHAPLIN SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY ON THE PATIO (3000 NE 151st St, North Miami Beach, FL 33160)

This is the most exciting and exclusive wine tasting event of the year. More than 1,000 bottles of very special wines from the American Fine Wine Judging, The Invitational, are poured to our hundreds of wine-enthusiastic guests. It is a true Wine Extravaganza! SEE YOU THERE- CHRIS/SawyerSomm


Benefitting Charites are End Childhood Hunger and The Joel Feigenheimer Endowment Fund.

Legends: Next Gen @Sonoma County Wine Library – Nov 10th!

Meet The Future of Sonoma County Wine – Legends: Next Gen

After a three-year pause, the Sonoma County Wine Library is bringing back its Sonoma County Wine Legends event on Thursday, November 10th, 6:30 pm at the Steele Lane Community Center (415 Steele Ln) in Santa Rosa. (Photo credit Christopher Cheung/PD)

Moderated by Sommelier Christopher Sawyer, Legends: Next Gen will feature a panel discussion of these legends in the making, five next-generation professionals of the local wine community:

This fundraiser for the Sonoma County Wine Library includes wine pouring with charcuterie platter, and silent auction featuring special wines, gifts, and wine-country experiences. Early bird TICKETS are $45 for members and $60 for non-members, and $55 and $70 respectively after October 31st.

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Chef Laura Pauli Shares The Love On THE VARIETAL SHOW!

THE VARIETAL SHOW has a great visit with one of our favorite chefs, Laura Pauli, fresh off her volunteer work in Ukraine. There she helped World Central Kitchen for a few months serving the citizens with love & dignity! She treats us to an 1875 Angelica Wine, and we also share some Cain Rose OTO & Cirq Pinot Noir.

LIKE, SHARE & FOLLOW my You Tube channel, for notification about upcoming episodes, most Tuesdays @12:30pm!

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#HWC2021 – The Video Collection!

We had a grand old time at the Home Winemakers Classic in support of Mt Veeder Fire Safe Council! For details and photos check out my previous post, but scroll down here for two of my spectacular winemaker interviews, featured on The Varietal Show, and a replay of the entire HWC event from July 17th!

You can also watch my Instragram interviews (@sawyersommelier) with Shari Staglin: Staglin Family Vineyard, Steve Sando: Rancho Gordo Beans, Angelina Mondavi: Dark Matter Wines & Walter Hamlin: Oakville Wine Merchant!

#HWC2021 Raises Funds To Protect Mt Veeder From Fires!

Fantastic results for a noble cause!

For more than 30 years, the Home Winemakers Classic has generated funding in support of fire safety for the Mount Veeder neighborhood in Napa Valley via a silent auction and a raffle. The virtual event was filmed at The Hess Collection Estate to raise critical funds for the Mt Veeder Fire Safe Council.

Mark Ibanez, Sports Director for KTVU Channel 2, and I discussed of some of the amazing Wine Auction Lots up for grabs, showed several short documentaries I did with my good friends at Lagier Meredith Vineyard, Judd’s Hill and MicroCrush. Concluding with announcement of the winner of the prestigious Nathan Fay Award for the 37th Annual Home Winemakers Classic!

Fabulous photos and Instragram interviews (@sawyersommelier) with Shari Staglin: Staglin Family Vineyard, Steve Sando: Rancho Gordo Beans, Angelina Mondavi: Dark Matter Wines & Walter Hamlin: Oakville Wine Merchant, are up now: Videos from our show will be here in a few days so plan to come back soon!

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Make C. Elizabeth Your Virtual Valentine!

The Varietal Show this week is a broadcast I moderated for a spectacular new boutique winery! Not only did I get the pleasure of tasting and talking about C. Elizabeth, but they are also making some noise due to their special fundraising project: From now until March 15, 2021, 50% of all sales of the 2017 C. Elizabeth Game Farm Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is being donated to Napa Valley Community Foundation 

So show them some BIG LOVE and watch my tasting to find out more! Cheers, Christopher

Sawyer Somm Birthday Fire Relief Fundraiser Pizza Party! November 2nd

A socially distanced Pizza Party at Gravenstein Grill celebrating my birthday – benefiting the Sonoma Resilience Fund! Monday, November 2nd, 5-8pm

RESERVE YOUR SEATS HERE! Pizza, Wine & a Full Bar will be available. Groups must be 10 or fewer and be pre-reserved to maintain social distance. Each group will receive their own table.

Allen Wines & Bucher Wines will be pouring at the event as well as a cash bar: 50% of all ticket sales goes directly to the resilience fund!

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8050 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol, CA 95472
(707) 634-6142